Friendship
by Iceworm
Summary: Liam thought that after surviving his ordeal in the well he could just hole up and lick his wounds and try to make sense of the disaster his life had become. He forgot that it was not just his pack that had his back. But friends can't help if they don't know what's happening.
1. Chapter 1

Friendship

**Be honest about your feelings. Don't let slights or grievances fester and injure your relationship by keeping them to yourself. **

"Mason! Hey Mason, wait up."

Mason hears Liam's voice as he walks down the line of buses that are disgorging their passengers into the parking lot of Beacon Hills High School. For a moment he hesitates and considers using his earphones as an excuse not to acknowledge his friend and just keep walking. But Mason does stop and Liam runs up beside him and they fall into step. It could be the start of any other school day, Mason thinks. Best friends walking into school. It makes him feel good that they are back together again. Only not really, he realizes, because he remembers why he had hesitated, unsure if he wanted to wait for Liam.

Slipping off his earphones he drapes them around his neck and checks out his friend. There's nothing obviously different about Liam today. He seems the same as always. No, maybe, not entirely the same. Liam has said nothing, merely paced along, head down, off in his own world since he caught up with Mason. _Can't be because he had to run to catch up to me__,_ he thinks in irritation. After the show Liam put on in the weight room and then again on their run on Friday, this little jog would not have made a difference. He wonders what it **would** take to render his friend breathless. He'd been joking about steroids but…Still,he reasons, a wordless Liam is not unfamiliar territory. His friend has always preferred action to words. It provides him a measure of reassurance that his world hasn't come totally unhinged.

But today he is unnaturally quiet even for Liam and this lengthening silence is beginning to unnerve Mason. Finally Liam breaks his silence but he still doesn't look at Mason.

"You didn't save me a seat."

Liam's remark pricks Mason's conscience. It had been a petty thing to do. He'd known it at the time; but, hey, he's a fourteen-year-old, pissed-off guy, not a candidate for sainthood. _You could have been fucking dead for all I knew, asshole._ The thought of a world where Liam is dead infuriates and terrifies Mason. His response to Liam is not just lame, it is embarrassingly limp.

"What?"

"I said you didn't save me a seat. What's up with that, man?"

"I thought you were running to school these days." Mason snarks back, fixing his friend with a pointed stare. "How would I know you weren't doing that today? I haven't exactly heard from you lately."

Mason cocks his head and stares off into space. "You know, in fact, I haven't seen or heard from you since Friday. One minute I'm eating your dust," He scowls and takes his frustration out on an innocent rock that goes flying across the parking lot. "Way to go buddy! The next I'm standing on an empty road, looking like an idiot, wondering where you went. What's with the disappearing trick and then going incommunicado on me? I lost count of how many texts I left you this weekend, Liam. Do you know how pathetic it made me feel, sending you all those messages and not getting an answer? It felt like you broke up with me, dude, but didn't have the balls to tell me."

Although it reflects how he feels, Mason hopes that his complaint doesn't sound as gay to Liam as it does to him. He doesn't feel _that_ way about Liam; but, damn it, he does love the self-centered jerk. If Liam thinks Mason is finished; however, he hasn't been paying attention for the last seven year.

"How was your weekend you ask? Thank you for asking, Liam. I had a great weekend. One minute I was furious at my best friend for leaving me twisting, twisting in the wind; and the next I was having a freaking panic attack, scared out of my mind that something had happened to him. So, no, I guess I didn't save you a seat on the fracking bus."

"And, for the record, Liam Dunbar, I am not your personal secretary."

"Huh?" Liam's look of confusion gives Mason a little kick of satisfaction. He knows he is not a good person for feeling that way but he doesn't care.

Having unloaded himself of a weekend's worth of anger and fear, Mason waits for some kind of explanation. But Liam just keeps walking

Mason has never, in their years of friendship, felt any compunction over profiting from Liam's lack of a poker face. Surprise, guilt, confusion, fear and sadness all make an appearance on his handsome face. Mason thinks that since it is merely a statement of an objective truth, like the sky is blue, he can notice how good looking his friend is without it meaning he wants to jump his bones. Liam is, like a brother. Besides, all the guys who feature in his fantasies are tall brunettes.

Liam deserves the guilt Mason sees reflected on his face for his shabby treatment of his best friend. Confusion, yeah, he'll explain the 'personal secretary' remark to him. He threw that in to screw with Liam's head; and maybe, if he's being totally honest with himself, out of jealousy. _Why the fuck was Scott McCall so interested in finding you?_

But the fear and nervous way his eyes sweep his surroundings and scan the faces of the students sharing the walk with them are just totally bizarre. And where the hell does the sad Liam face fit in, he wonders? _What kind of trouble did you get yourself into this weekend, Liam? _

It's Mason's turn to feel guilt. Liam has been doing so well with his anger. He kept his cool with Brett before and during the scrimmage. He'd been proud that his boy made it through an entire game against the Douche bags with no red cards. But Liam's body language suggests that something major and awful happened over the weekend. If Liam is really in serious trouble that changes everything. Mason's problem with him gets relegated to unimportant, we'll deal with it someday, if we have time and still remember what the problem was, status.

Mason is not religious but after doing some mental calculations, he offers up a prayer for his friend that is not so outrageous that it doesn't have at least a chance of being considered. _Please, not any worse than vandalizing the coach's car bad this time. _

Mason grabs Liam's arm and pulls him off the sidewalk, out of the stream of chattering, oblivious students. _If we're tardy, we're tardy._ Some things can't wait. Liam in trouble is one of those things. It has to be dealt with immediately.

The two of them have always been there for each other. It's been the two of them against the world since grade school. They remained best friends even when Liam transferred to Douche Bag Prep and left Mason behind, going through puberty as a gay kid without a friend to have his back, in the circle of hell called Middle School.

Mason has always been able to defuse or smother Liam's rages when they exploded out of nowhere; and Liam has always been Mason's defender. No one was allowed to mess with Mason. It was a little like having one's own attack dog. Not that he ever let Liam off his leash no matter the provocation. The possible consequences from that were too awful to consider both for the object of Liam's rage and for Liam.

After Liam left it had sometimes been necessary on their nightly calls to selectively edit his life-in-middle-school stories. But Mason had never regretted a single bruise he'd received or humiliation he'd endured during that time. As he saw it, he was every bit as responsible for protecting Liam from his self-destructive impulses as his friend thought he was responsible for Mason's safety.

Mason doesn't waste words when he has Liam out of earshot of the crowd. "What's wrong?" He asks quietly. His hands are on Liam's shoulders and he leans into his personal space trying to get his friend to look at him. Liam is a terrible liar. If he can get him to look him in the eye his friend won't be able to hide the truth from him. He can see kids looking their way from the sidewalk but ignores them. Hopefully he isn't doing permanent damage to Liam's cred in this new school. He doesn't think Liam is ready to be consigned to an alternative lifestyle before he's had a chance to kiss at least one girl.

"Nothing." Liam's head comes up and he attempts a glare. The effect is spoiled by the sheen Mason sees in his friend's eyes. Liam quickly swipes his hand across his face and Mason sees only bright blue eyes staring back at him. There is no sign of tears now.

"Everything's fine. Please, just let it go, man." Liam steps back and Mason lets him. Arms crossed, Mason watches his friend.

"It's something I have to handle myself. You need to trust me." He pleads. Liam is making what Mason thinks of as his sad, please forgive me, puppy eyes.

Mason stares at his friend wide eyed in disbelief.

"Are you really playing the best friend card on me? I just forget that the last weekend happened? It is God's in his heaven, all's right with the world time? Kumbaya is breaking out all over?" Mason turns his back to Liam. Right now, he doesn't want to see his friend's face. He can feel himself shaking in anger that Liam would shut him out of something that seems so important.

"Mason?" Mason ignores the plea in Liam's voice.

Liam gives his friend some time but eventually he tries again. But now there's urgency in his voice. "Mason? The first bell… it'll ring soon. You can't be late today."

Mason turns slowly back to face him. "What?"

His irritation with his friend hasn't diminished but his sour mood lifts somewhat as he sees the weak smile tugging at the corners of Liam's mouth. It's the first smile of any kind that he's seen on Liam's face since the incredibly embarrassing BRETT THING before the scrimmage.

"What's the big deal about today?"

The smile on Liam's face widens. "It's Monday, dude."

This earns Liam the duh look that such an asinine observation deserves. But then his friend continues. "You're supposed to be in the journalism office today, first period, Mr. only-Freshman-on-the- school-newspaper for your first assignment."

"Oh shit! Oh shit!" Mason looks down at his watch panicked but then breathes a sigh of relief. He's not late; but looking up, Mason fixes Liam with a suspicious look. "You did that on purpose."

"Kept you from being late?" Liam asks innocently. Mason's look becomes sharper.

"Distracted me from all your…" His hand waves vaguely as he gropes for a word adequate to encompass all of Liam's many transgressions. He sighs loudly as he watches the smug, self-satisfied grin that spreads across his friend's face. Mason's mood does not improve as Liam continues.

"You're right. I am a bad person because I remembered that something really important to my best friend was happening. I should be horsewhipped for being so inconsiderate as to remind him of it."

Mason's hands go up as though appealing to a higher power. Receiving no answer from that direction he drops his hands and glowers at his friend who is trying not to laugh but failing spectacularly. Mason sees tears in Liam's eyes again but they are from laughter now. Try as he may to maintain his state of righteous indignation, the relief he feels at seeing his friend climbing out of his funk is too great and he returns his friend's smile.

" Yeah. Okay, funny man, we need to get to class."

They rejoin the trickle of last minute students making its way into Beacon Hills High School. Liam turns to his friend. "We're good then?"

Mason nods. "Yeah, we're good."

But he drapes an arm across his friend's shoulder. A wicked smile plays across his lips as he gives Liam's shoulder a squeeze. "But Liam, you are _still_ going to tell me what happened. You know I _always _get the truth out of you."

Mason drops his arm because fourteen-year-old boys are only allowed to touch each other for 4.7 seconds outside the context of sports. Mason smiles as he mutters softly to himself, "Always."

However, if Mason had chosen that moment to glance over at Liam, he would have been deeply worried to see the look of total panic that flashed across his best friend's face as he spoke.


	2. Friendship 20

Friendship 2.0

**Be prepared to share your friend. Jealousy is not an attractive emotion in a friend. **

Mason does not discourage easily. He considers various tactics he might use to extract the truth about Liam's "lost weekend". It was, he decides, probably a good thing that he hadn't gone with, 'What did you do?' No matter how much it feels to him that that **was **the right question; he is certain that asking it would have caused his friend to clam up. Mason knows from unhappy experience that Liam bottling things up inside does not lead to a happy ending. Already his good mood has disappeared. Liam is tense, jumpy and the sad face is back again. _He needs to let me help him._

Checking his watch, Mason sees that, thanks to his friend, he is not late. That Liam remembered something that was important to someone else when he was so obviously stressed out is one of the reasons Mason loves him. Not that it happens all the time, of course. Liam can be as self-centered as any other only child. Being an innately good person; however, makes it possible to love him in spite of his lapses into the self-absorbed jerk who wouldn't return a single one of Mason's texts.

Mason calculates that he has enough time to stop at his locker before he has to be in journalism but not a lot more. He checks out the stairs leading into school, a notorious choke-point in the morning, and sees that the first big pulse of students has passed through the entrance. The remaining groups of students are moving smoothly up the stairs and through the doors.

Scott McCall and his shadow, Stiles Stilinski, stand on the landing at the entrance talking. Or rather, Stilinski is talking and McCall seems to be looking for something or someone. He looks worried as he scans the area. Periodically Stilinski pauses and waits impatiently. His fingers drum on the handrail at his side but eventually McCall gives his attention back to his friend. As soon as Stilinski picks up the thread of his conversation, McCall's attention immediately returns to the schoolyard. Mason nods to himself as he watches. The situation is so familiar to him that it is uncanny.

Suddenly he sees McCall's head come up. The older boy slowly turns and his body stiffens. All his attention is now focused on the students who are making their way up from the parking lot together with Liam and Mason. McCall's stance makes Mason smile. It almost seems that McCall has gone on point like a bird dog.

It's at this moment that Mason's freak out meter starts to max out. Scott McCall seems to have found his "prey." His eyes are fixed on the two of them. His stare is so intense that Mason checks over his shoulder in case there is someone standing behind them that could be his target. Having found no one behind them, Mason thinks surely he was mistaken and McCall's attention will have moved on to someone else. A couple of freshmen, even when one is a super jock like Liam, don't rate in the world that Juniors inhabit. But when his head comes around Mason has a sudden vision of the needle on his freak out meter spinning madly and then flying off into space. A smile with a power, he'd guess, of at least 1000w is spread across Scott's face and is focused entirely on Liam Dunbar. This is, Mason thinks, not only improbable but inappropriate, verging on creepy, and most definitely, totally unfair. He is the one who is into tall brunettes.

Liam, however, continues on his way, oblivious to the attention he's receiving and his friend's imminent freak-out. Only Liam, Mason thinks disgustedly, could remain unaware of the rise in ambient temperature that McCall's smile is generating. He is surprised that paper is not spontaneously combusting around him. That Liam Dunbar, his best friend, recent transfer and fellow freshman, rates this level of intense interest from Scott McCall, Junior/Captain of the Lacrosse Team/Jock Extraordinaire/BMOC, might cause someone less sure of his friend's orientation to wonder where his real interests lie. Mason has no doubts in that regard about Liam.

Instead, Mason takes this inexplicable development as corroborating evidence that something seriously odd is happening at Beacon Hills High School. This is as incomprehensible as the mystery of why Keira Yukimura invited his cute but irredeemably, dorky friend to a party. A party from which Liam had disappeared with no explanation, Mason recalls. It occurs to him as he studies McCall and his amazing smile that gossip around school claims Keira Yukimura is Scott McCall's girlfriend. Mason sees no reason why Liam's disappearance from the party and his disappearance on Friday should be connected. But he thinks they are.

All the eye action Liam is receiving causes Mason to decide that Scott McCall, no matter what gossip says, has got to go onto his list of possible boyfriends. He meets, or surpasses, all of Mason's requirements. It causes him concern that Liam may be his competition. He shares the short brunette thing with Liam but he is not a super jock. He wonders if it is a competition he wants to enter.

Watching his friend out of the corner of his eye, Mason waits for Liam (preoccupied, oblivious and totally wrapped up in his own thoughts, Liam) to wake up to the reality around him. Mason knows his friend has finally become aware of the disturbance in the Force when Liam trips over his own feet. Mason is there to steady him. His friend, the super jock, may be socially maladroit but he is never clumsy.

He recovers quickly and gives Mason an embarrassed look as they walk on. But then he stops so abruptly that Mason walks past him and has to double back. Liam's head is up. He is looking around, a puzzled expression on his face. His head swings slowly back and forth searching. When it stops Mason is not surprised to see that Liam's attention is riveted on the stairway leading into the high school. Liam waves to the two boys standing above them on the landing.

Liam is grinning broadly when he turns to Mason. The wattage of his smile dissipates quickly when he sees Mason's skeptical expression. Whatever he intended to say to his friend is forgotten. Instead he asks peevishly, "What?"

"I didn't say anything, Liam." Mason replies patiently.

"No, but your eyebrows…" Liam points at Mason's face "are doing that thing they do when you think I'm an idiot."

"No, Liam, you're wrong. If my eyebrows expressed an opinion each time I thought you were doing something idiotic, they would never come down. They'd be frozen in place." Gesturing to his face, he continues, "This is my 'what the fuck' face, second class. I reserve it for non-life-threatening but potentially, monumentally dumb, Liam decisions."

"And that's worse than just being an idiot?"

"Just trust me that it is; and, Liam, you do not want to see my wtf, first class face."

"Whatever." Liam growls.

Liam walks faster and more purposefully. Ahead of them McCall, trailed by Stilinski, has come down to meet them at the foot of the stairs. When the two older boys reach them, McCall gives Mason a quick, inquisitive glance as he steps forward and grabs Liam's shoulders. Mason's eyebrows shoot up as he watches.

"How are you?" McCall asks staring into Liam's eyes.

The intensity of feeling and concern Scott displays for Liam surprises and confuses Mason. McCall has only known Liam two weeks and on his first meeting with Liam sent him to the emergency room. But today he appears to be as worried about Liam's condition as Mason, who has known him all his life. Liam's face displays a variety of emotions at this unexpected attention. They are as easy for Mason to read as a billboard. Surprise, embarrassment (the kid's ears turn pink) and pleasure all make an appearance.

Off to the side, Mason sees Stilinski watching his friend's actions with an air of amused affection. The older boy turns to Mason and nods wisely. "Scott is very touchy, feely." Mason catches the glare that McCall directs at his friend. Stilinski ignores his friend and continues. "He worries about his baby twisters. It's kind of sweet, don't you think?"

"All of them?" Mason asks skeptically.

"No, just the ones he feels responsible for." Mason does not know what to make of the sadness that seems to pass like a shadow across Stilinski's face as he says this. The moment passes and Stilinski is smiling mischievously when he makes Mason a cryptic promise, "You'll see."

"I'm fine." Liam insists pulling away from Scott. Liam looks around anxiously and spotting Mason hangs an arm over his shoulder and pulls his friend up beside him.

"Scott, this is my friend, Mason."

"Right. I've seen him with you around school and at practice. Glad to meet you, Mason."

The younger boy is astonished to hear that Scott McCall has noticed him. His heart gives a little jump in his chest as he takes Scott's hand. The handshake is firm but Mason is surprised that there is no attempt at intimidation in it. Scott doesn't try to put him in his "place". It is so unlike the way Liam's teammates at his old school acted when they met him that there is, he is sure, a stupid smile plastered on his face. _God, I hope Scott isn't interested in Liam._

Belatedly Mason realizes that he must look like a complete idiot; and the confused smile on Scott's face confirms it. He has been holding Scott's hand for far longer than is socially acceptable for teenage boys. Mason releases it. He can tell that he is blushing but hopes Scott will not notice. Stilinski, however, is giving him the eye and Mason is sure that his reaction did not escape Scott's friend.

"Mason's my best friend, Scott. We've known each other since third grade."

Mason snorts, "Second grade, Liam. Don't you remember Mrs. Stevens?"

For some reason Liam is still trying to evade Scott's question, a question that Mason would also like to hear Liam answer.

"Oh, yeah, Mrs. Stevens. At any rate, Scott, it's been the two of against the world for like forever."

At this statement Stilinski gives a bark of laughter that he attempts to disguise by coughing dramatically into his fist. Stilinski is watching Scott with wide eyes which have, Mason decides, a definite twinkle in them. Mason knows that if that look was on his face and directed at Liam it would signify, 'What-did-I-tell-you?' Scott simply looks irritated with his friend.

Stilinski clears his throat loudly and looks meaningfully at Mason. Scott nods and proceeds to make the introduction, "Oh right, Mason, this is Stiles."

The two boys shake hands and Stiles finishes the introduction for his friend, "And also Scott's best friend for, like always." The eye roll that accompanies this statement makes Mason smile. He doesn't know; however, what to make of the speculative look that Stiles gives him afterward.

"Right, I know. You're on the Lacrosse team, too." Mason realizes how that sounds as soon as the words leave his mouth and looks at Liam panic-stricken.

"Right, on the same team but not in the same league as you two Super Jocks. Don't sweat it, Mason." Mason allows himself to breathe again when he realizes that Stiles is not offended. "I made First Line last year and that's more than I ever expected. This year, if I'm lucky, I'll even play enough games to win a letter." Stiles looks wistful. "I'd like to do that for my dad. He would be so proud. Although I'm not sure that there would be any living with him if I became a letterman. I might have to stage an intervention down at the station to save his men from the bragging." Scott and Stiles share a smile.

Scott glances at his watch. "I guess we need to get going, Stiles." He looks intently at Liam. "Liam, have lunch with the gang today."

Liam nods but then frowns and shoots a worried look at his friend. Behind him Mason hears Stiles coughs. Scott shoots a quizzical look at his friend and then smoothly, as if it had always been his intention, continues, "And Mason, that includes you too."

If Mason ever had any intention of turning down Scott's afterthought of an invitation, it melts away in the warmth of the smile that the older boy flashes him. _It's not fair that anyone is that cute_, Mason thinks. _It's doubly unfair if Scott has the hots for Liam._ Mason is proud that he has the presence of mind to manage a nod of agreement.

"You like him." Liam whispers as the two of them follow Scott and Stiles into the building.

"Yeah. I like them both. They are way better than the neanderthals you hung with at Davenport."

"Right. But, you really **like** Scott." Liam winks at him.

"You're crazy. I don't know where this sudden perceptiveness has come from that you are showing. You've never shown any sign of such a talent before in all the years I've known you." Mason examines his friend critically.

"Stop evading the question. You like him or not?"

Mason sighs, "Yeah, Scott's hot and if he ever asked me out on a date I would not refuse." Liam is laughing now. "However, I don't think that's going to happen because I think he's interested in someone else." Mason stares pointedly at Liam until Liam's cheeks color.

"Dude, you are so wrong. He's with Keira."

"Beard!"

"No, they have been through..." he pauses before finishing vaguely, "…a lot together. They really are a couple."

"If you say so but he sure acts weird around you. Just saying."

Ahead of them Mason sees that Scott and Stiles have their heads together and are having a quiet but intense conversation. As usual it seems that Stiles is doing most of the talking. Whatever argument Stiles is making comes with much waving of hands for emphasis. Scott seems; however, to be holding out against whatever idea Stiles is pushing.

Liam and Mason trail along behind them on the way to their own lockers. Mason has not been able, try as he might, to hear any of the older boys' conversation and is dying of curiosity. Finally, Stiles finishes and without realizing it raises his voice loud enough that Mason can hear a few words, "It's a package deal, Scott!" Mason watches as Scott's shoulders seem to sag. Then he watches as the two boys disappear up the stairs to the second floor.

Mason, who has been so intent on trying to hear what Scott and Stiles were saying that he hasn't paid any attention to his companion, turns back to him and finds himself looking into the scared Liam face. Mason doesn't know what to make of that.

Liam's no coward. He goes out and plays with guys who outweigh him by fifty pounds, are a head taller than he is and have fucking clubs in their hands without a moments hesitation. Mason decides at that moment that he has seen the "scared face" once too often today. Something at Beacon Hills High School is going to change.

Actions 


	3. Chapter 3

Friendship 3.0

**It cannot be a good sign when your best friend does not want you to meet his new friends. Is he afraid you won't like them; they won't like you; or, you will find out something about him that he doesn't want you to know? What is the big deal?**

Mason goes in search of Liam after waiting patiently outside the doors of the lunchroom for ten minutes. It is true that they had not established a location to meet each other for lunch; but inasmuch as this was their usual rendezvous spot, it had seemed to Mason to be the most logical place to wait for his friend. He finally spots Liam standing in front of his open locker. As he walks down the hall toward him he notes that his friend does not seem to be getting any books out. He does not, in fact, appear to be doing anything besides staring into his locker. His mind appears to be a million miles away from the drama of Beacon Hills High School. Even as Mason walks up beside Liam, his friend does not seem to be aware of him.

"What's up, man? I've been waiting for you outside the lunchroom? We're still having lunch with 'the gang,' right?"

Liam gives a start which Mason finds both funny and vaguely unsettling. One among the many new things that is true about his friend since the start of the school year is that Liam is never taken by surprise. He always seems to know where everyone around him is, all the time. It has made his lacrosse game, which was already superior, an amazing thing to watch but makes being around him on a daily basis a little creepy.

His friend grabs a book, seemingly at random, out of his locker. Since Mason knows that the book he takes is for his first period class, he considers asking him about this but his friend seems so frazzled that he decides to have mercy on him. Liam hastily stuffs the book into his backpack. As he turns to face his friend, he slams the door to his locker so hard that people up and down the hall turn and stare. Mason watches his friend flush at the attention he has attracted.

"What's that locker ever done to you?" Mason asks with a smile.

Liam ignores the joke. Instead he does one of those head down look up through his lashes things that totally disarms Mason and makes him wish his friend would "just save it." Mason knows that it is unconscious on Liam's part; but sometimes he makes it literally uncomfortable for Mason to be around him. Liam is totally not his type but his friend is just amazingly cute. At times like this Mason knows that he is glad he has no sisters. When Liam finally finds his confidence around the ladies he is going to be deadly.

Liam answers his original question. "Sorry, man. I needed to talk to Mr Yukimura after class and spaced it out. Yeah, we're meeting them. Unless…you need to be somewhere else?" The hopeful tone in Liam's voice earns him a skeptical look from his friend. But Mason lets it pass.

"No, I want to meet them. They're probably wondering if we're even coming."

Liam does not appear to notice the mildly reproving tone in Mason's voice. His friend seems edgy as they make their way to the lunchroom; and Mason wonders why Liam would be apprehensive about him meeting his new Beacon Hills friends.

"How are we going to find them?"

This does not seem an unreasonable question to Mason as they pass through the doors of the Beacon Hills lunchroom and survey the milling masses in front of them. Beside him Liam gives what sounds like a sarcastic snort, as though the answer to his question is too obvious to be worthy of a response.

"Not here." Liam announces brusquely after only a perfunctory scan of the room. He grabs Mason's arm and starts to tug him back through the door of the lunchroom. Mason's eyes go to the hand on his arm. That's another difference he's noticed in the Beacon Hills Liam, he seems to be more touchy-feely than a normal fourteen year-old boy. But as Liam's grip tightens on his arm Mason is reminded of a more disturbing difference, his friend's control over his anger seems to have weakened. Mason stands his ground, however, and refuses to be moved. He glances down pointedly at Liam's hand and his friend hastily releases his hold.

"How can you be so sure? Unless you've developed x-ray vision and haven't told a guy, you can't see around corners. Maybe they're over there." Mason gestures to the other section of the lunchroom.

The lunchroom is L-shaped and there is no way that Liam can _know_ that "the gang" isn't in the part of the cafeteria that is hidden from them. This earns him a scowl from his friend but they make their way into that part of the room. Mason wishes Liam would lighten up. He has been tense and making with the monosyllabic answers since Mason found him at his locker.

Mason trails along behind Liam as he cuts his way through the crowd. His friend seems equally oblivious to both the greetings called out to him and the obviously interested looks thrown his way by a number of very pretty young ladies. Mason's gaydar also registers a number of hits as they cross the lunchroom. They are, he knows from sad experience, not directed at him.

Mason wonders again at the changes, most of them bad, that have taken place in Liam since he came to Beacon Hills. He had thought it would be good for his friend to get away from that snooty prep school environment and his homophobic teammates; but if public school is going to make his best friend miserable, maybe he needs to stage an intervention. There is no going back to Davenport, of course. Liam napalmed that particular bridge but Beacon is big enough that there are other options.

Liam's folks like him. Mason knows this. He has grown up with Liam. They would listen to him if he went to them about their son. They would want do what was best for Liam. It is not that they don't love him. His parents are just very busy professionals and sometimes they aren't around enough to see the signs that something is wrong with their son. And, of course, Liam lies to them. What teenager wants to admit to his parents that he cannot fit into his new school and wants out after only a month? Liam would probably hate him if he took the parent route. Mason thinks Liam would get over it but playing the parent card always comes with risks. So far, the situation has not reached the level of seriousness that would compel Mason to take action.

"You see, not here." Liam announces, a note of triumph in his voice.

"Right, okay. Let me grab a water. Do you want something?" Mason takes Liam's money and makes his way through the lunch line. When he comes back he hands Liam a Gatorade.

"So, where next?"

They exit the lunchroom and head for the side entrance, the one that leads outside to the athletic field. "They'll be in the bleachers or under the trees by the lacrosse field." Liam says this with complete certainty. Mason can think of several other possible places they might be having lunch on such a sunny afternoon but doesn't voice an opinion. He merely tags along after his friend.

As they come out of the school Liam does another one of those sudden stops where he freezes in place, head thrown back, that seems to be another of his new behavior patterns. The significance of which is still a mystery to Mason. Mason catches the quick glance Liam shoots him as he exhales. With a nod of his head he heads toward the playing field. Liam doesn't give the bleachers so much as a second glance.

"So, not in the bleachers?" Mason asks following his lead. Liam shakes his head and keeps walking. Mason doesn't argue even though _he _cannot see all of the bleachers; but Liam seems sure and he was right about the lunchroom even though they could not see all of it. The lacrosse field backs up to the nature reserve and trees grow nearly to its edge. The verge of the forest seems to be their destination.

"Who's in 'the gang'?" Mason asks. He's curious to know who besides Stiles will be in attendance.

Liam gives his friend a worried look as he lists them off. "There's Scott and Stiles, of course; Keira, Scott's girlfriend; Malia, Stiles' girlfriend; and Lydia Martin.

"Is that the same Keira who invited you to the party at the lake house? The party where the beer guy was decapitated?" Mason asks in surprise. Liam nods and Mason's eyes grow wider. "Scott's girlfriend asked _you _out? What's up with that, dude?"

"It wasn't like that." Liam answers vaguely. Mason scoffs as he sees the shifty look Liam shoots him. "I mean she did ask me to come to the lake but she wasn't like asking me out on a date. It was..." Liam trails off into silence.

"Come on pal. Don't leave a guy hanging. What was it if it wasn't a date?"

"It was more like an... initiation." He finally offers.

"Initiation? At a party?"

"No, no, it wasn't supposed to be a party, you see. We misunderstood Keira when she asked me." Liam looks embarrassed. "I guess it was wishful thinking on my part. The party thing just kind of snowballed once the word got out about something happening at Lydia's lake house." Liam gives his friend a pointed look. "Man, was she ever pissed when all you guys showed up."

Mason has the decency to look guilty since he is the one who spread the word about a party. "Oh..."

"Yeah. Oh!"

Despite his responsibility for the mistake, Mason is too intrigued by the concept of Liam participating in a secret initiation to stop asking questions.

"Initiation? What kind of initiation? Come on. Tell me." He does a little jig in his excitement. "You mean like guys standing around in their underwear freezing their nuts off, paddlings, secret handshakes and stuff like that?" His face sports a mischievous grin with which Liam is all too familiar.

Liam's response, his face a picture of aghast disbelief, is all Mason had hoped for when he asked the question. "What are you even talking about, dude?" Liam asks in confusion.

His friend continues, "You don't have to be bashful or modest around me, Liam. Remember, I've seen you in your tighty whities." Mason arches an eyebrow at his friend. "In fact, I've seen you out of them too. I'm sure you compared favorably with the other pledges."

"Screw you!" Liam splutters. "It wasn't that kind of thing. There weren't any other 'pledges'."

Liam's face over the course of this conversation has progressed from a pleasing pink to a deeply satisfying scarlet. Mason has grown up with Liam and so knows just how far he can safely push his friend. He can tell that Liam is on the ropes; and with that opening, he goes in for the knockout.

"You just wish!" Mason goes on in a very patient, long-suffering tone. "I keep explaining that you're cute but not my type, Liam. You're too whitebread for me." Mason awaits his friend's comeback but instead sees Liam give a start.

Liam has been giving Mason all his attention but now his attention is drawn back to the front by a change in the wind. Ahead of them Liam can see Scott and the others seated on the grass eating their lunches. But with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach he notes that Scott and Malia are watching the two of them intently and both of the young weres sport big grins. With their supernatural hearing Liam knows what this means and he can feel his face grow hotter. He glances over at his best friend who seems very satisfied with himself.

With a smirk Liam remarks. "Oh, you mean like Scott McCall?

Unaware of the pit that Liam is baiting him toward, Mason happily jumps in with both feet. Sporting a wide smile, Mason agrees, "Yeah. McCall is totally hot! I've told you he could park his sneakers under my bed anytime."

Mason doesn't understand the sly smile that spreads across his friend's face. Liam nods with his head to the front and Mason turns his attention away from his friend. Up ahead he spots Scott and a girl, he thinks must be Malia. They are watching them approach across the lacrosse field. The rest of the kids eating their lunches have not yet turned their attention in this direction. Mason can see that something appears to be bothering Stiles, who sports an irritated expression. As Mason watches he sees Stiles throw something at his friend. Scott then turns back to the group and says something. Whatever he says seems to be the cause of much amusement and when he finishes the attention of all the kids is now centered on Liam and Mason.

Liam and Mason exchange looks. Liam's face has a look of resignation on it that puzzles Mason. He's meeting Liam's new friends. How bad can it be?


End file.
